Tag Archives: #getsustainablefwa

It's Sustainability Month! This October, we'll be profiling FortWhyte staff and volunteers to find out what they're doing to live sustainably.

Katharine has been volunteering at FortWhyte for 7 years in various roles including Birding and Breakfast leader, Goose Flight Evenings and as a gardener in our Biodiversity Garden.

What choices do you make to consume less or make choices that are healthier for our planet, big or small?

We have taken cloth/reusable bags for grocery and all other shopping since the mid 1990’s, and I keep a folded bag in my purse and one in the car for unplanned shopping. The wastage of fresh water is one of my major concerns so I take the time to talk to management whenever I encounter leaking taps or toilets (a sadly frequent occurrence) in any public locations.

What’s the most recent sustainable action you’ve adopted and why?

The most recent additional sustainable action I have adopted is to take a travel mug with me almost everywhere I go because it is shocking to see the huge number of unnecessary disposable cups used in our world, along with the plastic lids, straws and insulating sleeves – sometimes people even use two disposable cups because the beverage is hot!

What’s your favourite tip for reducing, reusing and/or recycling?

One of my favourite tips is to never, ever buy plastic garbage bags – why buy a plastic bag specifically to throw it out?! One seems to acquire an endless supply of various plastic bags even when expressly trying to avoid it; therefore, use any other possible bags for garbage. I use the plastic and mesh bags in which my birdseed is packaged for general garbage and I line my bathroom garbage cans with the carefully opened plastic packaging from toilet paper and paper towels.